If you are wondering How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK, the short answer is this: for UK small businesses, Shopify’s cut depends on two things, your plan and the payment method you use. On Shopify’s UK pricing page, online card rates start from 2.0% + 25p on Basic, 1.7% + 25p on Grow, and 1.5% + 25p on Advanced. If you use a third party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify also applies an extra transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced.
That means the real cost per sale is never just one number. It is the monthly subscription, card processing fee, any third party transaction fee, plus extras such as apps, paid themes, email tools, shipping labels, or currency conversion if you sell internationally. For small businesses in the UK, that difference matters because a few tenths of a percent can noticeably change profit margins over hundreds of orders. Shopify’s own UK pricing page also states that all plans include access to Shopify Payments and that yearly billing can reduce subscription costs on eligible plans.
So, if your goal is to work out How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK in practical terms, you need to look at the fee stack, not just the headline number. This article breaks that down in plain English, with examples built around the way real small businesses sell.
The quick answer to how much percentage Shopify take each sale UK
For most UK small businesses, Shopify takes one of the following online card rates when you use Shopify Payments:
| Shopify plan | Online card rate in the UK | Extra Shopify transaction fee if you use a third party gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.0% + 25p | 2.0% |
| Grow | 1.7% + 25p | 1.0% |
| Advanced | 1.5% + 25p | 0.6% |
These rates come directly from Shopify’s UK pricing page and Shopify’s help documentation about third party transaction fees. Shopify also confirms that stores using Shopify Payments are not charged third party transaction fees for supported payment methods, including Shopify Payments, Shop Pay, PayPal Express Checkout, and manual payment methods such as bank transfer or cash on delivery.
That is why the cleanest answer to How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK is this:
- If you use Shopify Payments, Shopify mainly takes the card processing fee tied to your plan
- If you use another payment provider, Shopify takes its own extra transaction fee on top
- Your monthly plan cost is separate and still needs to be factored into per order profitability
Why small businesses often misunderstand Shopify fees
A lot of founders assume Shopify just takes a flat cut from every order. It feels like that should be the simplest answer, but it is not how the pricing works.
Shopify splits costs across several layers. First, there is the monthly plan. Then there is payment processing. Then there may be third party transaction fees if you choose an outside gateway. On top of that, your actual cost per order can rise if you rely on paid apps, premium themes, POS features, international selling tools, or discounts that reduce your average order value.
This matters for UK sellers because margins are already tight in categories like fashion, gifts, beauty, home goods, and low ticket impulse products. Even when sales are growing, fee leakage can quietly eat into net profit. UK retail data from the Office for National Statistics shows online spending remains a major part of the market, with online sales values rising year over year in recent releases and non store retailing, which mainly includes online retailers, showing sustained strength.
How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK on Basic, Grow, and Advanced
Basic plan
Basic is usually the first stop for solo founders and very small teams. Shopify’s UK pricing page lists online card rates from 2.0% + 25p for this plan. It also lists Basic at £19 per month billed yearly, with a temporary promotional entry offer shown on the pricing page at the time of writing.
For a small business, Basic is often enough if you are validating a product, running a side hustle, or doing modest monthly sales volume. The tradeoff is that your payment fee is the highest of the main plans, so once sales pick up, you may be paying more in processing than you save on subscription.
Grow plan
Grow is positioned for small teams. Shopify’s UK pricing page lists online card rates from 1.7% + 25p and a plan cost of £49 per month billed yearly.
This plan tends to make more sense once order volume rises and you want to lower the percentage Shopify takes on each sale. The monthly subscription is higher, but the lower transaction cost can make the plan cheaper overall once your turnover reaches a certain point.
Advanced plan
Advanced lists online card rates from 1.5% + 25p and starts at £259 per month billed yearly on Shopify’s UK pricing page.
For most true small businesses, Advanced is not the starting choice. It usually becomes worth looking at when order volume is high enough that the lower processing fee offsets the much higher monthly subscription, or when the business also needs more advanced reporting and international selling features.
What happens if you do not use Shopify Payments
This is the part many new merchants miss.
If you use a third party payment provider, Shopify says it applies extra transaction fees based on your plan. On the UK pricing page, those are listed as 2% for Basic, 1% for Grow, and 0.6% for Advanced. Shopify’s help documentation also explains that third party transaction fees are calculated on the order value formula that includes products, discounts, tax, and shipping charges.
That means you can end up paying two layers of fees:
- Your external payment provider’s processing fee
- Shopify’s own third party transaction fee
For a small business, that can be expensive fast. It is one reason many UK merchants stick with Shopify Payments unless they have a specific business reason to use another gateway.
Real examples of how much Shopify takes per sale in the UK
Let’s make this simple with realistic numbers.
Example 1: £20 order on Basic with Shopify Payments
Suppose you sell a product for £20 online.
Basic rate is 2.0% + 25p.
- Percentage fee: 2.0% of £20 = 40p
- Fixed fee: 25p
- Total payment fee: 65p
So on a £20 order, Shopify takes about 65p in processing, before subscription costs and any app costs.
Example 2: £50 order on Grow with Shopify Payments
Grow rate is 1.7% + 25p.
- Percentage fee: 1.7% of £50 = 85p
- Fixed fee: 25p
- Total payment fee: £1.10
That works out at an effective fee rate of 2.2% on that order.
Example 3: £100 order on Advanced with Shopify Payments
Advanced rate is 1.5% + 25p.
- Percentage fee: 1.5% of £100 = £1.50
- Fixed fee: 25p
- Total payment fee: £1.75
Effective fee rate: 1.75%.
Example 4: £50 order on Basic with a third party payment gateway
Now let’s say you are on Basic but not using Shopify Payments.
You could be paying:
- Your gateway’s own fee, whatever that is
- Shopify third party transaction fee of 2%
Shopify’s help page says these transaction fees are calculated using the order amount formula that includes product cost after discounts, plus tax and shipping. That means your total cost can be much higher than many beginners expect.
The hidden difference between percentage fees and real cost per sale
When people search How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK, they often want one neat number. In reality, small businesses should think in terms of effective cost per order.
Here is what changes that number:
- Your average order value
- Your plan
- Whether you use Shopify Payments
- Whether you charge shipping
- Whether tax is included in the order total
- Discounting frequency
- Refund rate
- International sales and currency handling
- Subscription cost spread across monthly order volume
For example, the fixed 25p matters more on a £10 order than on a £100 order. That means lower priced stores often feel payment fees more sharply than higher ticket stores.
A handmade gift shop with a £12 average order value will feel Shopify fees differently from a furniture store with a £350 average order value. Same platform, very different economics.
When it makes sense to upgrade plans
A common small business mistake is focusing only on the monthly plan price.
Yes, Basic is cheaper up front. But if your order volume increases, the lower processing fee on Grow or Advanced can outweigh the higher subscription. Shopify’s UK pricing page shows a spread of 2.0%, 1.7%, and 1.5% for online card rates across the main plans. That gap may look small, but on monthly turnover it adds up.
Here is a simple way to think about it:
- Stay on Basic if sales are still modest and cash flow matters most
- Consider Grow when you have consistent volume and want lower per order costs
- Consider Advanced only when turnover is strong enough to justify the subscription, or when you need its broader feature set
This is especially relevant in UK ecommerce because online demand is still significant. ONS data shows online sales remain a large share of retail spending, with recent periods showing online spending values up year over year and online proportion figures still meaningful for merchants selling direct to consumers.
Costs beyond the Shopify percentage
To answer How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK properly, you also need to budget for costs Shopify does not bundle into the card rate.
1. Monthly plan cost
At the time of writing, Shopify’s UK pricing page lists:
- Basic from £19/month billed yearly
- Grow from £49/month billed yearly
- Advanced from £259/month billed yearly
If you process only a small number of monthly orders, your plan fee per order can be quite high.
2. Apps
Many stores install apps for reviews, subscriptions, bundles, upsells, email capture, SEO, returns, or shipping automation. Some are free, many are not.
3. Themes and design work
A store can launch on a free theme, but plenty of businesses eventually pay for design help or premium templates.
4. VAT and tax compliance
In the UK, businesses generally need to register for VAT once taxable turnover goes above £90,000, according to GOV.UK. That does not mean Shopify is charging more itself, but it affects how you calculate revenue, pricing, and margins.
5. International selling costs
If you sell beyond the UK, currency handling and cross border complexity can raise total payment costs. Shopify’s fees pages explain that rates and fees can vary for international and currency related scenarios.
Is Shopify expensive for UK small businesses?
It depends on the business model.
For many small businesses, Shopify is not the cheapest possible option, but it is often one of the simplest to run. That matters. Time is a cost too. If Shopify helps you launch faster, manage inventory more smoothly, keep payments inside one system, and reduce technical headaches, the platform can still be cost effective even if the per transaction fee is not the absolute lowest in the market.
Shopify also claims on its UK pricing page that its checkout converts 15% better on average than other commerce platforms. Even if merchants should treat any vendor claim with context, the bigger point still stands: a platform that converts better can justify slightly higher fees because more of your traffic becomes paying customers.
For a small UK business, the better question is not just, “What percentage does Shopify take?” It is, “After fees, does Shopify leave me with more profit because it is easier to sell on?”
Smart ways to lower your Shopify cost per sale
If you want to keep more of every order, these are the moves that usually matter most.
Use Shopify Payments where possible
This is the clearest one. Shopify states that when you use Shopify Payments, third party transaction fees do not apply for supported payment methods.
Increase average order value
A fixed fee of 25p hurts less when the order is larger. Bundles, add ons, free shipping thresholds, and better product pages can all improve fee efficiency.
Review your plan at regular intervals
Do not stay on Basic forever out of habit. If your turnover has grown, the lower fee on Grow may reduce your total cost.
Watch discounting
Heavy discounting shrinks your margin faster than many founders realize. Even if the payment rate stays the same, your retained profit per order falls.
Keep app stack lean
Every extra subscription chips away at net profit. Review unused apps every quarter.
Price with margins in mind
Do not set prices based only on what competitors charge. Build in room for fees, returns, shipping, packaging, and tax.
Frequently asked questions
How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK if I use Shopify Payments?
For UK online card payments, Shopify’s UK pricing page lists rates from 2.0% + 25p on Basic, 1.7% + 25p on Grow, and 1.5% + 25p on Advanced.
How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK if I use PayPal or another gateway?
If you use a third party gateway, Shopify says extra transaction fees apply by plan: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced. Those are separate from the fees charged by the payment provider itself.
Does Shopify take a fee on refunds?
Shopify’s help pages explain some transaction fee rules clearly, including that third party transaction fees are not returned when you issue a refund. Merchants should check their exact payment setup as refund related costs can vary by provider and scenario.
Is there a setup fee?
Shopify’s UK pricing FAQ says there are no setup fees on its plans.
Is Shopify worth it for a very small business?
Often yes, especially if ease of use, speed to launch, and integrated tools matter to you. But it is worth calculating your effective fee per order before committing to a plan.
Final verdict
So, How Much Percentage Shopify Take Each Sale UK for small businesses?
For most UK sellers using Shopify Payments, the practical answer is between 1.5% + 25p and 2.0% + 25p per online order, depending on plan. If you use a third party gateway, Shopify can also take an additional 0.6% to 2% transaction fee, depending on the plan.
For small businesses, the smartest way to look at Shopify is not as a single percentage, but as a full selling cost. Once you factor in your plan, order value, payment method, tax setup, and app stack, the real question becomes whether the platform leaves enough margin after every sale. In many cases, it does, especially when the store is set up well and average order value is healthy.
If you are pricing products right now, build your numbers around actual retained profit, not headline revenue. That one change can save a lot of bad decisions later. And if you are comparing platforms, remember that a good payment gateway is only part of the equation. Checkout performance, ease of use, and time saved matter too.
